In an age of global warming and rising energy costs, more efficient power generation and transmission methods must be developed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electricity production and to reduce the amount of energy wasted in the process. Furthermore, the growing use of hybrid and all-electric vehicles necessitates the development of generators—not just batteries—capable of integration with these devices.
Increasing numbers of electricity-consuming devices either operate on direct current or consume alternating current at a varying frequency (e.g., through the use of a variable speed/frequency drive). The most modern high efficiency devices are dominated by having direct current, as opposed to alternating current, consumption to a larger degree. Data centers, computers, televisions, LED lighting, DC brushless motors, etc. are all devices that consume direct current and thus have very little use for alternating current (at least within the global utility standards of 50/60 Hz) electronic ballasts. Additional devices, particularly in larger scale commercial and industrial operations often utilize variable frequency/speed drives which currently utilize alternating current (typically within 50/60 Hz) only to then convert the power into direct current and then to a higher frequency alternating current. The ability to provide direct current has the potential to decrease conversion losses, and utilize the inherent voltage regulators often built into the variable frequency drives to further accept a direct current power source that has a varying voltage output. Additional devices such as solid state ballasts for fluorescent lighting is another such example.